Wayback Wednesdays 10 - Generations: 2005
by The Real JL Rules
Summary: Based on the 2001 animated series. Something's up with the Waynes, while Green Lantern is hunted by the Guardians' old soldiers... Originally written in 2003. IMPORTANT: Please read the Disclaimers/Notes in Part 1.
1. Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3. **IMPORTANT** : So, here we are. This is the start of what was - and probably still is - my magnum opus: the most ambitious story I ever wrote. The way in which it is will become apparent soon enough, but the title is a clue: _Generations _._

 _4. **VITAL** : You might be a tad confused over the title; specifically, "2005" - exactly ten years in the past. Well, with relates to above, when I originally wrote this, 2005 was **two years in the future**. I never thought I'd ever present these stories from 2003 again, but I'm sure "2005" won't be an issue for you for long._

 _3\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change._ _However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

THE STORY SO FAR…

It is a year since DECISIONS.

Superman has fully regained the world's trust and respect, and is more confident than ever. He is in a long-term relationship with his true love, Lois Lane, and is ready to fight for Truth, Justice and the American Way.

Bruce Wayne has cut back on his time as Batman, spending more time with his family. However, he is still the Dark Knight, and leads his group of vigilantes, which consist of Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl.

Diana has returned to her heroic duties, balancing her life as a hero with her life as a wife and mother. She has recovered from the wounds left by her pregnancy and post-natal depression, and is once again confident and strong.

Batman and Diana are happily married, and they recently celebrated the first birthday of their twin children, Faith and Thomas.

Green Lantern has begun to rebuild his friendships with his fellow Green Lantern Corps members. He is still the guardian of Earth, and has proven himself as a hero countless times.

Hawkgirl has just given birth to her and Green Lantern's daughter, Tarran. Still recovering from the pregnancy, Hawkgirl is offduty, and spends all her time at her and Lantern's home at the Watchtower.

The Flash has left the Justice League. No longer able to cope with his feelings for Hawkgirl, he quit the team rather than disrupt her and Green Lantern's marriage. He has ended his relationship with Linda Park, and has been working alone ever since, only fighting with his former teammates during world-wide crises.

J'onn J'onzz has continued to learn the ways of Earth. He has adopted a Human persona, John Jones, and has joined the New York Police Department. Thus, he spends less time at the Watchtower, but still feels like an outsider and uncomfortable around others.

PART 1

The hangerbay doors opened, and the sleek black jet slowly glided into the room. The doors closed, and the vehicle landed softly on the floor. After a few seconds, the room was pressurised, and the jet's cockpit opened.

Superman and Shayera entered the hangerbay and looked at the plane. In Shayera's arms was her four-month old daughter, Tarran. She clapped playfully and laughed, and Shayera smiled. "Yes, it's your Aunty and Uncle and their babies… they're here for a play."

Superman looked at her. "Batman's here for a play?"

"No, silly," Shayera replied. "The kids – AS you well know. Though I may have a little fun with Batman. I'll tease him about the time Tarran threw up on his cape."

Superman chuckled, and turned to look at the jet. Two figures rose from the cockpit. One hopped out, and landed on the ground with perfect balance. The other glided up from the vehicle and flew down to the floor delicately.

Superman raised his hand. "Hi. How are things?"

Batman and Diana looked at eachother, frowns on their faces. Superman and Shayera could immediately tell something was wrong… the tension was in the air.

Eventually, Diana said simply, "Fine."

Superman stammered. "Er… great. Where are the kids?"

"In the back of the 'Wing," Diana said. "I'll wake them in a moment." She turned to Batman. "If that's OK with you."

Batman remained silent, and simply walked towards the exit. Diana folded her arms, anger on her face. Superman and Shayera looked at eachother, feeling very uncomfortable. "Is… something wrong?" Shayera asked.

Diana looked at Batman, who had his back to them all. "No," she eventually responded. "Everything's fine. Isn't it, 'darling'?"

Batman remained silent.

Superman held the back of his head. "Well… er… the meeting will be in an hour or so. We're just waiting for John and J'onn…" He stopped. "Hey, any of you ever notice how similar their names are?"

"Yes," Batman said, still with his back to them.

Superman sighed. "Well, anyway… John's on his way back from a mission for the Corps, and J'onn is just finishing up on a case in New York. Until then, we can have a play with the kids or something."

"I'll take the kids," Diana said. "We can have our chat in the lounge and keep an eye on them."

Shayera looked confused. "Er… OK. Let's go."

"I'm just going to have a chat with Shayera," Diana said at Batman.

He made no movement of acknowledgement.

"Oh, so now you're ignoring me?" Diana asked, anger rising in her tone. "I said, I'm just going to have a chat with Shayera."

"Fine," Batman said.

Diana's scowl increased. "That OK with you?"

Batman suddenly spun around and faced them. "I SAID FINE!" Then, he turned back, went towards the exit, and left the room.

Superman and Shayera looked at Diana.

The Amazon said nothing, instead turning around and going back to the Batwing…

/

Faith and Thomas ran as fast as they could into the lounge, giggling and waving their arms around as they ran. They headed towards the main seating area, where there was a large mat that was permanently there for them to play. When they reached the mat, they went to their big box of toys, and began taking things out.

Diana and Shayera followed them in, and sat down on the couch. Diana had a milkshake, and Shayera set Tarran on the mat, where she sat with her favourite plush toy, watching Faith and Thomas.

"OK," Shayera said. "What was that all about?"

Diana looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that, girl," Shayera said, pointing her finger. "What was going on between you and Batman? You looked like you wanted to kill him."

Diana was silent. She took a deep breath, then said quietly, "It's nothing."

Shayera folded her arms. "Yeah, right. Really looked like nothing. What's happened? He's not helping with the children? Making you do all the work?"

"No," Diana said. "It's nothing."

Shayera leaned closer to her. "Diana… what is it? I felt the tension in there… so did Superman. Just tell me what's wrong."

Diana looked at her milkshake, and was silent. She sighed, and turned to the children. "How's Tarran?" she asked.

Shayera sighed. "She's… fine. Keeping me up at night, but that's what I did to my Mom, apparently. Like mother, like daughter. And Faith and Thomas?"

Diana smiled slightly. "They're fine. They've been saying little things. No actual words, but things like, 'Mah' and 'Dah'. And Faith said 'Ruh-ruh' when she saw Robin."

Shayera grinned. "That's sweet. Has Batman tidied up the cave after they found their way down there?"

Diana went silent again, and she looked away. Shayera frowned. "Diana… what is it?"

Diana sighed, her expression becoming more pained. "It's… Bruce… he… we…" Her voice faded, and she let out a sob.

Shayera put her hand on Diana's. "What is it… what did he do…? Did he hurt you? Not that he could, but…"

A tear ran down Diana's face. "We… we had a fight."

Shayera smiled slightly. "I hope you kicked his butt." However, her smile quickly faded when she saw Diana's pained face. "I'm sorry. What did you fight about?"

Diana wiped the tear away, and put her milkshake on the coffee table. She ran her hand through her hair, as fresh tears poured down her face. "You don't want to know, Shayera. I shouldn't burden you with our problems…"

Shayera put her hand on Diana's shoulder. "Don't be stupid. You're my best friend. Tell me."

Diana looked at her, and sighed sadly. "I'm pregnant."

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change._ _However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 2

"She's pregnant?"

Batman remained unfazed. "Yes."

Superman smiled. "Well, that's great news…" His smile dropped. "Isn't it?"

Batman was silent. Instead, he turned around, and faced the monitor.

Superman went upto him. "Bruce… what is it?"

Batman kept his eyes on the monitor. "I've already said too much. Just forget it."

Superman put a hand on his shoulder, and turned him around to face him. "Bruce… if you didn't want to talk about it, you wouldn't have said anything. Now tell me what happened."

Batman looked down, and sighed. "I knew before she told me. I could tell, just like I could with Faith and Thomas. When she told me, I was happy. I was. We celebrated… I took the night off. Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin went on patrol, and Diana and I… had a wonderful night." He fell silent again.

Superman pulled up a chair and sat down. "So why did you fight?"

Batman turned half around, his side to the Man of Steel. "The next day… yesterday… I was working in the cave… but all I could think about was Diana. I got to thinking… I…"

Superman leaned closer. "What happened?"

"I got to thinking… what could happen." Batman stared at the wall. "How dangerous it was. I could… I…"

Superman sighed. "Bruce… you have to believe everything will be fine…"

"Don't you see?" Batman said, looking at the Kryptonian. "Diana almost DIED giving birth to Faith and Thomas! If she… if I lost her…"

"Bruce," said Superman. "She's strong. YOU'RE strong. Together, you can deal with any…"

"Shut up, Clark!" Batman interrupted. "You're naïve optimism isn't going to help here." He went upto the wall, and looked at it. He frowned, and his teeth clenched. He then raised his arm, and punched the wall hard. "How could I have been so STUPID? I was so eager to be with my wife again… I wasn't thinking. And yesterday…"

Superman got to his feet. "What happened?" he repeated.

"I… went to Diana with my concerns," Batman said quietly. "We talked about it. She seemed to think everything would be OK… but I was more realistic. I told her I wouldn't allow her to be put in danger. I… I suggested… other options."

Superman frowned, then his eyes widened as realisation hit him. "Oh, Bruce…"

Batman looked at him. "Needless to say, she wasn't pleased. She said I was being stupid… that I wasn't being supportive…" He stopped, and sighed. "We began shouting. She said I was insensitive… I said she was holding onto false hope… I went on patrol, leaving her alone. I told her to stop fooling herself and think about it properly. When I got back this morning… she was still angry. I was still angry. We… had another confrontation over it. We've never been like that… we nearly came to blows…"

Superman shook his head. "Bruce… you can't leave it like this. You have to talk to her."

"I don't want to talk to her," Batman said. "Not until she comes to her senses and sees it realistically."

"You're being spiteful," said Superman. "That's not going to do anything. You're just acting like a kid."

"Is it childish to not want to lose your wife?" Batman said. "I don't know why I said anything. You're the most naive of all of us. I'm the only realistic one here." With that, he turned and strode out of the room.

Superman folded his arms. "Just when you think he's loosening up…"

/

The room was full of figures, all standing in rows. They were facing a podium, with a stand at the centre. They were waiting for their leader.

There were footsteps, and another figure, exactly the same as the others, walked onto the podium. It went upto the stand, and rested its hands on the side. The crowd rose from their chairs and cheered wildly.

The Manhunter raised his hand and slowly moved it up and down. The crowd – dozens of other Manhunters - went quiet, and sat back down.

The Manhunter looked at his brothers. "You all know why we are here. We must seek revenge on he who defeated our brothers, who stole the power from them. They had victory in their hands, but for the actions of this one man, it was taken from them. My brothers, we no longer just want the power of the Guardians. We must destroy their most respected defender. Are you all with me?"

The crowd of Manhunters raised their arms, and shouted loudly. "AYE!"

"Good. We shall go to Earth, and find him. And when we find him… we shall hurt him. We shall break him. We shall destroy him. Him, and all that he holds dear. Just as he did to us."

The Manhunter pressed a button on his stand, and a hologram image appeared behind him. After a few seconds, the image focused to show a picture of a man. "My brothers, this is our target… the Green Lantern known as John Stewart. We shall find him… and we will have our revenge. Then we will go to Oa… and take back what is ours. Are you with me?"

The crowd cheered again.

"ARE YOU WITH ME?"

The cheer was replaced with a roar.

"We will have our revenge," the Manhunter said, raising his power staff into the air. "And once we take the power, and destroy the Guardians… finally… the universe will be ours! Long live the Manhunters!"

The Manhunters rose to their feet again, and roared with approval, thrusting their arms and power staffs into the air…

/

Shayera walked down the corridor, her emotions mixed. She had found out something that was great news… but had its bad point.

Diana was pregnant. Her best friend was going to have another baby. It was wonderful. Shayera was happy for her; Diana was a terrific mother to Faith and Thomas, and she was wonderful with Tarran. The Amazon had actually offered to put the young girl to bed, but Shayera had insisted on doing it herself. She needed to get used to the fact that she was a mother as well.

But the news had not been met with complete joy. Batman was less than supportive about the situation. Shayera frowned. She thought he had loosened up over the past couple of years… but he could still be so stubborn. And now, he was just being a total jerk. She could understand him being worried about Diana, but he was just totally out of order. Insensitive, uncaring, convinced he was right… he had no right to talk to Diana like that. She would not blame her if she whacked him round the head. If Shayera saw him now, she might do it herself…

She did not know what they were alike when they were alone… but anyone could see that they were completely in love with eachother. Even Batman, who was not the most emotional person, could not hide his love for her. And Diana was totally devoted to him. Which made this situation even worse. Shayera could tell from Diana's state earlier than their fight had hurt her tremendously. It was like they had never had a fight before…

Of course, Shayera did not have much to compare it to. She and John had arguments almost on a nightly basis…

Shayera went down the corridor, heading for the lounge. As she walked, she heard voices ahead. She slowed her pace and crept towards the sounds… they were coming from the training room…

She stopped as she neared the training room entrance, and crept to the edge of the doorway. The door was closed, but the voices were loud enough to hear.

She recognised them instantly.

She closed her eyes. It was awful…

"It isn't a good time to talk now. I'm busy."

"I don't care. We need to sort this out."

"I told you, not here. I'm…"

"So training is more important than talking about our lives?"

"I didn't say that…"

"You'd rather train than sort this out, wouldn't you?"

"You're being stupid again."

"WHAT did you say?"

"You heard me. You need to calm down and look at this logically…"

"Bruce, stop saying the same things! We've gone through this already!"

"Then why do you want to talk about it now?"

"BECAUSE THIS IS OUR LIVES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE! Or don't you care?"

"Of course I care! That's the whole point!"

Shayera sighed. She should leave. It was a private conversation… if conversation was the right word. But she was curious. She wanted to know the full story.

"If you care about my feelings, Bruce, you're doing a lousy job of showing it. All you've done is reject everything I've said…"

"It's not me who's been doing the rejecting around here. It's you who won't listen to reason."

"If you don't want me to have this child, just say so! Don't hide behind pretending to care about my feelings, because it's obvious you don't!"

"WHAT? Diana, that's ALL I care about! You think I WANT us to be fighting like this?"

"Then tell me WHAT you want, Bruce! Go on! WHAT DO YOU WANT? Do you want me to give up the baby, and never have children again? Do you not want ME to have children, or do you just not WANT children at all? Do you not want me to mess up your life as Batman any more than I already have? Do you see me as a hindrance?"

"STOP IT! YOU'RE BEING STUPID! You're just INVENTING reasons to be mad at me! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? YOU'RE MY LIFE, DIANA! MY LIFE! Or doesn't that matter as much to you as it does to me?"

"Well, my feelings don't seem to matter to YOU! All you're worried about is what MIGHT happen! But did you ever think that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I might be able to cope? Just because Faith and Thomas' birth was hard, doesn't mean this one will! I think YOU'RE just inventing reasons NOT to have this child! If you don't want it, JUST SAY SO! Because it sure looks like you don't want it, and if you don't, then it's better I know now! Because I don't want to be wasting my time with someone who doesn't want my child!"

There was silence. Shayera wondered what was going on.

"You think… having children with me is a waste of time?"

"I didn't mean it like that…"

"Get out."

"Bruce…"

"Get. Out."

"Look, let's go home. We can…"

"GET OUT!" There was a small whizzing noise, and before Shayera knew it, a batarang sliced through the door, stopping halfway through. Shayera jumped with shock.

There was silence again, and Shayera heard footsteps nearing. She quickly moved away from the door, and hid behind a corner.

The door opened, and Diana walked out. She looked at the batarang, then looked down, and went down the corridor.

Shayera watched her go. She could not believe what was happening.

Was it over between Batman and Diana…?

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. At one point in this chapter, my British leanings snuck in when Shayera uses a distinctly-British term. But Americans were saying "doing my head in" back in 2005, right? Right... ?_

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change._ _However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 3

The mall was busy, as always. There were thousands of people, all shopping. On the higher levels, people were having their afternoon lunch, many with their families and friends, some just alone on their lunchbreaks.

John and Shayera Stewart strolled down the grounds of the main shopping area, Shayera pushing the pram with Tarran inside. "I'm really worried, John," Shayera said. "I've never seen them like that before."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," John said. "They're just being stubborn."

"You didn't see them," said Shayera. "They were yelling at eachother. Batman threw a batarang…"

John darted his head to her. "He threw a batarang at her?"

"Well, I don't know," Shayera shrugged. "I can't see him doing that… maybe he just threw it to the side… out of rage…"

"They better sort it out," John said. "We can't have their personal problems interfering with work…"

"For crying out loud, John, will you stop thinking about business and see this as a person?" Shayera yelled. "They're our friends, and they're having problems. Don't you care at all?"

"Of course I care," he said. "I just don't see what we can do about it. They'll sort it out. They love eachother."

"I know… it's just…" Shayera sighed. "She's my best friend. It hurts to see her being treated like this."

"And how do you think he feels?" said John. "He just doesn't want to lose his wife. I can see his point, and I think Diana should listen to him and consider all the options…"

"I knew you'd say that," Shayera said, frowning. "You and Batman are so… thickheaded. You refuse to admit you're wrong… and don't care if you hurt other people's feelings…"

"That's not true," said John. "I just see things as they are. You have to look at every option in situations, especially this one…"

"Oh, you're doing my head in…" Shayera began to walk away, pushing Tarran along. John caught up with them, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Look…" he said, "I know she's your friend… if you want to, talk to her. But remember – it's THEIR decision. They have to sort it out themselves."

"You're right…" she said. She was about to speak again, when she heard noises a few hundred yards away. "What's that…?" she asked.

John looked in the direction she was facing. A woman was crying out, pointing at a man running in their direction. "He's got my purse!" she yelled.

"I'll take care of this," John said. He raised his hand, and it glowed green. He walked towards the man, in the path he was running…

Suddenly, a red wind flew past, and the man was flown from his feet. He landed on the ground, the purse still in the air. The wind caught it, and it flew over to the woman. It whizzed past her, and the purse was back in her hands in a flash.

The wind flew back to the man, and stopped. The man looked up, a figure standing over him.

"It's not nice to steal from ladies," the Flash said. He then picked the man up by the collar and shook him about, until a security guard ran over. "Take him away," Flash said.

As the guard took the man away, John and Shayera went upto Flash. "Flash!" John said. "It's been awhile."

Flash looked at them, and immediately looked uncomfortable. "Hi," he said simply.

Shayera smiled faintly at him. "How… are you?"

Flash was silent, and was visibly squirming. "Fine," he eventually said. "You?"

"We're OK," John said. "What have you been upto?"

Flash looked at Tarran smiling wide in her pram. His face saddened. "Nothing special. Look, will you excuse me, I have to…" He looked up and stared at Shayera longingly, and she looked at him with sorrow. "I… have to go," he said quietly.

He was about to turn to go, when there was a rumbling sound, and everyone looked up. The ceiling began to crack and splinter, and rubble fell to the ground. "What's going on?" Shayera said.

Suddenly, the ceiling exploded, and debris plummeted to the ground. People were running and screaming. John, Shayera and Flash braced themselves, Shayera running over and putting herself infront of Tarran.

As the smoke cleared, figures emerged from the whole in the ceiling. The three heroes instantly recognised them.

"John Stewart!" the Manhunter at the front said, "No one escapes the Manhunters!"

/

The Manhunters lowered slowly towards John, Flash and Shayera. Everyone in the mall ran towards the exits, and the security guards converged at the scene.

"These guards are way out of their league," John said, his ring glowing brightly. He looked at Shayera, who was covering Tarran in her pram. "Get out of here."

"What?" she said. "John, they said they were after you… I'm not leaving…"

"Go, Shayera!" Flash interrupted. "It's too dangerous!"

The Manhunters looked down on them. "John Stewart is with two of his colleagues."

"Yes. I recognise them from the black box left by our brothers. The small one in the vehicle shows DNA matching with both John Stewart and the winged woman."

"That would indicate that it is their child."

"Agreed. Add it to our targets."

Shayera tensed, and her wings burst out of the harness she wore under her clothes. "NO!"

"Shayera, get out of here!" John shouted. "Take Tarran and run!"

Before Shayera could answer, the Manhunters pointed their power staffs and fired energy blasts at them. John barely formed a shield infront of them in time. As the smoke cleared, he powered up his ring, and his civilian clothes disappeared, replaced with his Green Lantern uniform.

The Manhunters landed on the ground, and advanced on the heroes. Flash ran upto them, and began to knock them down before they could react. Meanwhile, Lantern sliced some of them apart with his ring.

However, the robots kept coming, and soon managed to take down Lantern and Flash with a combined energy blast. They fell to the floor a few feet from Shayera, weakened.

"John! Flash!" She took a step toward them, but looked at Tarran in her pram. She was crying loudly. She bent down and picked her up, holding her close. She looked back at Lantern and Flash, who were slowly getting up. "John, I have to get Tarran out of here! I'll be right back!"

"No…" Lantern said groggily. "Get out of here… get help…" Suddenly, one of the Manhunters fired an energy whip at him, and it wrapped around him, binding his arms to his side. They pulled the whip, and it flew up, sending Lantern into the air.

Before Lantern could do anything else, four Manhunters hit him point-blank with their staffs. He screamed as the energy blasts hit him at full power. After a few seconds, he went limp, his body smoking.

"JOOOOOHN!" Shayera froze, torn between getting her daughter to safety, and helping the man she loved. She watched as the Manhunters began to rise back up to hole in the ceiling, with Lantern in tow.

Flash got to his feet, and rushed to the wall. He began to run up the side of the wall, trying to reach Lantern before they left.

However, one of the Manhunters fired a blast at another part of the ceiing, and it began to fall to the ground… right under Shayera and Tarran.

Flash saw the debris falling toward them, and his eyes widened. He immediately leapt off the wall, and ran as fast as he could to them. He reached them, and just had time to push them toward the wall, before the debris – which was right under a part of the restaurant on the upper level – hit the ground.

Tonnes of rock and debris, as well as furniture from the restaurant, piled high on the ground. Flash, Shayera and Tarran were directly under a concrete alcove, and the debris created a wall around them, trapping them inside.

Meanwhile, the Manhunters disappeared out of the building, taking Lantern with them…

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. Apologies for the_ really _corny line from GL in this chapter. You'll know it when you see it._

 _4._ _There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change._ _However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 4

Flash, Shayera and Tarran were trapped. Tonnes of debris was forming a wall around them, and the concrete alcove they had hidden in blocked any exit they might have had.

Flash looked at the woman sitting a few feet from him. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. No matter how much time had passed… no matter how much distance he put between himself and the League… he never stopped loving her.

And to see her with a child…

He watched as she stroked Tarran in her arms, wiping the dirt off her clothes. Her eyes were watering up, as she was no doubt worried about both the condition of both her daughter and her husband.

Flash looked down. Her husband. It should have been him…

"Flash, get us out of here!"

Flash darted his head up at the sound of her voice. "What?"

"Get us out of here! Push the rocks away." Shayera held Tarran close, looking at Flash desperately.

"I can't," he said. "I'm super-fast, not super-strong. Besides, can't you smash us out with your mace?"

"My mace was in the pram," she said. "The pram's outside. Besides, I don't want to bash away. Debris might hit Tarran."

Flash stared at her. She was so worried… so concerned for the safety of her child. Would she have been so concerned if it was HIS child…?

"Why can't you just call the League, then?" he said. "You carry your communicator on you, surely."

Shayera put a hand to her ear. "You're right… you're right… I'll just call Superman…"

As Shayera spoke into her communicator, Flash looked at Tarran. She was so small… so fragile… so precious. The way Shayera held her… it made his heart ache.

It could have been HIS child…

After a few minutes, Shayera looked at him. "They're on their way. As soon as we get out, we'll find John."

"I'd have thought you'd want them to go find John first…" Flash said, part of him hoping she would say she did not care about him that much.

"I want to get my daughter to safety first," she said. "Believe me, this isn't easy for me. But I have to put my child first."

Flash turned away. The next few minutes took an eternity to pass, as he sat feet away from the woman he adored. He wanted nothing more than to take her, hold her and comfort her… but he knew he could not. She was married. She had a child.

He had waited too long, and he had paid the price.

He watched as she rocked Tarran in her arms, speaking softly to her. The baby had stopped crying, but tears still poured down her eyes. "It's OK…" Shayera said quietly. "We'll get you in your pram, and then we'll go find Daddy…"

Flash sighed. The pain of losing Shayera was unbearable. He knew he would always love her… that was why he had left the League. He had tried to get as far away as possible from her… hoping his feelings would fade with not being around her…

But if anything… they had gotten stronger…

He looked at the ground, too scared and too pained to even speak to her…

/

Lantern slowly opened his eyes, and looked infront of him. He waited a few moments for his vision to focus, and noticed he was in the desert. He saw sandhills all around him, and the sun shone down on him brightly.

He looked up, and saw a figure standing over him. He instantly recognised it. "Manhunter…" he said.

The Manhunter looked at him. "John Stewart, you know why you are here."

"Actually, I don't," Lantern said.

"You are here for the crimes against the Manhunters," the robot said. Lantern turned his head, and noticed dozens more around him. "You destroyed our brothers, and in return, we have killed your loved ones."

Lantern's eyes widened. "What…?"

"The ones known as Flash and Hawkgirl, and the small being identified as your daughter. They are dead."

Lantern got to his feet. "NO! YOU LIE!" Suddenly, several Manhunters hit him with their power staffs, hitting him with hundreds of bolts of electricity. Lantern went back down to his knees, groaning.

"Do not try and fight," the Manhunter said. "You cannot defeat us. You are one, where we are many. Not even a Green Lantern, with all their vaulted willpower, can defeat an army of Manhunters."

"If you've touched one hair on my wife and daughter's heads…" Lantern growled, "I'll show you the most powerful will in the universe…"

The Manhunter punched Lantern hard in the face. "Do not attempt to frighten us. No mere mortal can defeat the Manhunters."

"Maybe not…" Lantern said slowly. "But if you've done what you said you've done… you'll face men with powers far beyond those of mortal men…"

"Enough!" The Manhunter hit Lantern with his staff, hitting him with an energy blast. Lantern fell down face-first on the sand ground. "Prepare to die, John Stewart!" the Manhunter said, raising his staff in the air. "First you, and then the Guardians! No one escapes the Manhunters!"

Suddenly, a laser shot down from the sky, and the robot's staff exploded in a small ball of flame, taking his hand with it. The Manhunter looked at his arm, a smouldering flame where his hand used to be. "What…?"

Another Manhunter pointed to the sky. "Look!"

The Manhunters and Lantern looked up…

The Javelin-7 and the Batwing dove down from the sky…

/

The Javelin and the Batwing swooped down towards the Manhunters and Lantern on the desert ground, the former's cockpit opening, the latter's weapons armed. The Javelin dived down, then pulled up quickly. As it shot back into the air, Superman and J'onn flew out of the open rampway, towards the Manhunters.

"ATTACK!" The Manhunters flew into the air, but Superman smashed through several of them, destroying them, and hit more with his heat vision. J'onn phased his body, and the energy blasts the robots were firing at him passed right through him and hit Manhunters behind him.

Meanwhile, the Batwing soared toward a group of them, missiles ready. Once the Manhunters were in range, the missiles were fired, destroying several of them in one go.

Lantern looked at the few Manhunters still gathered around him. He clenched his teeth, and his ring began to glow brightly. Then, he forced his arms up, and he ripped out of the energy whip that was tying him down. He then sliced the Manhunters in half with his ring, before flying up to help his teammates.

It did not take long for the battle to end. The Justice League dominated the Manhunters, knocking them down, destroying them and throwing them to the ground. Within minutes, only one – the one-handed leader – remained. Lantern hit him with an energy blast, sending him crashing to the ground.

The Manhunter got to his knees, and looked around him to see the remains of his army. He looked up as Superman, Lantern and J'onn slowly landed on the ground. A few yards away, the Javelin and the Batwing landed, and the Flash and Batman emerged from them respectively.

The League surrounded the Manhunter. Lantern took a step closer. "How many more of you are there?"

The Manhunter looked at him. "There are Manhunters all over the galaxy. They will take over from where we left off. You will never be safe. Every Manhunter has taken a vow to destroy you, John Stewart, and take back what is ours from the Guardians."

"Maybe if they're smart," Lantern said, "they won't. We destroyed your army, and we did so before. And we'll do it again."

"Time will tell, John Stewart." With that, the Manhunter pressed a button on his arm, and it began to beep. Suddenly, he self-destructed in a ball of flame, sending the Leaguers to the ground. As they sat up, the Manhunter's remains lay in a pile on the ground.

The Leaguers got to their feet, and Superman went to Lantern. "Don't worry about it, John," he said. "If the Manhunters do come back, we'll be here to help."

"I don't care about that," Lantern said. "All I care about now are my wife and daughter. Where are they?"

"We took them back to the Watchtower," J'onn said. "Diana is looking after them."

"Then let's go." Lantern walked towards the Javelin, with J'onn following him. Batman went to the Batwing.

Superman looked at Flash. "Want to come, Flash?"

Flash was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I… better get back."

Superman smiled faintly. "You're going to run all the way from here to Keystone?"

Flash folded his arms. "I might."

Superman waved towards the Javelin. "Come on, at least let us give you a ride."

Flash looked down, then sighed. "OK… but I can't stay long."

"We've missed you, Flash," Superman said. "We'll take whatever we can get."

The two began to pick up the remains of the Manhunters, and take them back to the Javelin…

TO BE CONCLUDED


	5. Chapter 5

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change._ _However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 5

Shayera sat in the kitchen, Tarran in her arms and a bottle in her hands. The baby quietly sucked away at the bottle, taking in the milk. Shayera rocked her slowly in her arms. It was a miracle that she had not been harmed earlier. If it was not for Flash, both of them could have been killed.

Flash. She kept thinking back to him. He had risked his own life to save theirs. He had been there for her, as he always had been. He had kept her calm when they were trapped… not with words, but by him simply being there.

Of course, she had seen the shyness in him. He was always shy around her, to the point of being rude. She knew why, though. She had always known.

He loved her. He had loved her since that Christmas, at least, when she had first been with John. She remembered the mess that happened in the run-up to New Year's, with her conflicting feelings for both John and Flash. Of course, it did not take her long to realise her feelings for Flash were nothing more than that one would feel for a close friend, while her feelings for John were deeper. But it seemed that Flash had never let go.

She remembered when he left. He just walked in and said it one day. There was no discussion, no warning. He just told them, and no matter how much they tried to persuade him to stay, he would not. He left that day, and had come back to the Watchtower sparingly since then.

And she knew why. He was running. He was finding it harder and harder to see her with John… and when Tarran was born, he distanced himself even more. She knew something was going to happen.

Of course, she had hoped his time away would help him. Hopefully his feelings for her would fade… and she knew that was part of the reason for him to go. As crass and immature as Flash acted, he did not want to break up a family. That was why she had not gotten into contact with him as much as the other Leaguers. She wanted him to forget about her entirely.

But today… it was clear he had not. He still cared about her. Still loved her.

She had to do something about it. She had waited long enough.

She heard footsteps, and looked up to see Flash and J'onn at the doorway. "Hello," J'onn said.

"Hi," Shayera said quietly, looking at Flash. She noticed how he was looking at Tarran.

"The Manhunter remains are in our storage bay," J'onn said. "John would like to see you as soon as possible. He wants to spend some time with you."

"OK," Shayera said. "J'onn, can you leave Flash and I alone for a moment?"

Flash looked confused, but J'onn nodded, an understanding expression on his face. "Of course." With that, he turned around and left.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, as Shayera and Flash just stared at eachother. "So…" Flash eventually said uncomfortably, "how are you feeling?"

"We're good," Shayera said with a smile.

Flash looked away. "Good." He began to twitch, and darted his eyes to the door. "Well, I'll be going then. I'll… see you sometime. Take care." He quickly turned around, but stopped at the sound of Shayera's voice.

"Why did you leave?"

Flash looked over his shoulder. "What?"

"Why did you leave?" Shayera repeated. "You never gave us a reason."

Flash turned around slowly. "You know… the usual…"

"No," Shayera said, gently but sternly. "Tell me."

Flash was silent. Shayera could tell he did not want to talk about it… but he had to. "Flash…" she said quietly, "why didn't you just tell me?"

Flash sighed, and looked at the ground. "I tried. But by the time I did… you had chosen John."

Shayera looked sadly at him. "I'm sorry…"

He held up his hand. "Don't be. I'm OK. I was just being an immature kid with a crush…"

Shayera sighed. "Really?"

Flash looked at her, his eyes sad. Shayera felt deeply sorry for him. He was in love, but had not had that love returned. She knew how painful that was, and how hard it must have been for him to see her with John.

He laughed slightly. "No. You know that. I… loved you, Shayera. I still love you. That's why I had to go. I can't be the guy who breaks up a family. And as much as he gets on my nerves, John's too decent a guy for me to do that. I'll get over it, Shayera. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Why don't you come back?" Shayera asked.

Flash looked down again. "I don't know… it probably won't be such a good idea…"

"Flash, please," Shayera said. "We miss you. It hasn't been the same without you. And it'll be fine, don't worry. Just think about it."

Flash looked at her. He smiled slightly, and sighed. "I'll… think about it." With that, he turned to leave the room, but bumped into Lantern. "Oh, hi," he said.

"Hey man," Lantern said. "Look, thanks for earlier. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there for Shayera and…"

"Don't worry about it," Flash interrupted. He looked at Shayera. "I'll be off. I… might be back." He turned around and left the room.

Lantern watched him go, then looked at Shayera puzzled. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," she said, smiling. "What's up?"

"I wanted to make sure you were OK," he said, going upto her. He sat down on a chair, and leaned close. He tickled Tarran's chin gently. "I almost lost you today."

"WE almost lost YOU," she said. "You do that again, I'll kill you."

Lantern smiled. "You know what got me through today? You know what made me gather the strength to free myself from the Manhunters' whips?"

Shayera tilted her head. "Your uniform was getting creased?"

Lantern laughed. "No. It was the thought of not seeing you again. I couldn't bare that. I had to know you and Tarran were OK. That was all that mattered to me. You're all that DO matter to me."

Shayera leaned closer to him, and they kissed gently. They separated, and Shayera sighed. "Let's go spend some time together… as a family." They got to their feet, and went towards the door. "We can watch another one of romance movies…"

Lantern sighed. "Great…"

They left the room…

None of them noticed the bat-shaped shadow by the slightly-ajar store cupboard door…

/

Ra's Al Ghul stared out of his window, looking over the desert beyond.

His plans to cure the Earth had failed.

For now.

He heard footsteps nearing, and turned around. Talia was at the doorway. "Father," she said.

"Yes, Talia?" he said.

"He is here."

"Good." Al Ghul walked towards the door, and left the room, closely followed by Talia. They went down the corridor, until they reached a small room. They walked in and saw a figure sitting at a small table, two guards with guns behind him. The figure wore a loose, baggy coat, and hood that covered its face.

Al Ghul looked at the guards. "Has he caused any problems?"

"None, master," one of the guards said.

Al Ghul looked at the figure. "So, how may I be of service, stranger?"

"You know me," the figure said in a male voice. "And it's what we can do for eachother."

"As you said when you first contacted me," Al Ghul said. "Do you agree to follow my orders, and do as I say?"

The figure nodded. "Yes… master."

"Good," Al Ghul said. "Then we will begin your training tomorrow. Be ready at sunrise."

"I will," the figure said.

/

Batman walked down the corridor, more determined than he ever had been before.

He had listened in on Shayera's talks with Flash and Lantern. He had not liked it, but he had to. He had to see how other people talked through their problems… as he was so bad at doing it himself.

His relationship with Diana was on the verge of ending. He knew it. Their arguments over the past couple of days… the way they had been avoiding eachother at the Watchtower… things were bad.

Why? How did things get so bad? They had never argued before… not like this. The closest they came was when Prometheus set him up with Catwoman. But besides that… nothing. They just did not fight. They loved eachother that much.

So why could she not see how much he loved her? She was ALL he cared about. She was his life. He could not imagine his life without her. But that could very well happen, if he did not fix things, now.

He went to their room and stopped at the door. Diana was in there. He knew she put Faith and Thomas to bed at this time everytime they stayed over. And, although they had not discussed staying over tonight, it was clear Diana was going to. She probably felt more comfortable here than at the Manor.

That thought made his heart ache. If she did not want to be with him tonight… would she not want to be with him ever?

He had to fix things.

He opened the door slowly, and looked in. Diana was sitting on the side of the bed, staring out of the window. Faith and Thomas were in their cots, asleep. Batman opened the door fully, and looked at his wife. A box of tissues was beside her, and she was sniffing quietly.

He walked in, and closed the door. He looked at her, the woman he loved more than anything. He could not bare they being angry at eachother anymore. "Diana…" he said quietly.

Diana kept her head facing the window. "Bruce… go away. I'm not in the mood right now…"

He sighed, and put his hands to his face. He pushed back his cowl, determined he was not going to hide behind it. He stepped forward. "Diana…" he repeated. "I…"

"Bruce, please," Diana said. Her voice was choked as she spoke between sobs. "I can't do this again. I… it hurts too much…" Her head dipped.

Bruce went closer, stopping a foot away from the bed. "I'm sorry," he said.

Diana's head went up. "What?"

He walked around the bed, and knelt down by her side. He saw her face, her eyes red and heavy, tears pouring down her face. "I'm sorry. I… didn't mean anything I said… I just…" He reached out, and took her hand in his. She turned her head and looked at him. He gently pushed her hair away with his other hand, and wiped her tears away. "I just can't bare to lose you. If anything happened… if you… died… I don't know what I'd do…"

She took a deep breath. "I'll be OK…" she whispered. "The only way I won't be is if you're not with me…"

Bruce stroked her shoulders. "Do you want me to be?"

"Of course I do…" she said. "But I have to know you want this too…"

"I do," he said. "I just… got scared. I'd be lost without you…"

"I thought I'd lost you," she said. "I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore…"

He raised her hand to his face, and tightened his grip. "Diana… I will always be with you. I want to have children with you. I can't imagine my life without you."

She smiled, fresh tears pouring down her face. "I love you," she breathed.

"I love you too," he said. "I love you so much…"

They leaned closer to eachother, and kissed tenderly. They then looked at eachother, and he got to his feet and sat down next to her on the bed. She put her arms around the back of his neck, and he put his hands on her back. They embraced, holding eachother closely.

They held eachother for a long, long time…

THE END


End file.
